Blue Bird ALL American School Bus Recall 19V524: Roof Hatch Handle May Break, Blocking Emergency Exit

What this recall means for you

On certain 2020 Blue Bird school buses with 24-inch by 24-inch roof hatches, the outside handle on the roof hatch may break unexpectedly during normal use. The vehicle therefore does not meet federal bus emergency exit requirements.

If the external handle breaks, the roof hatch may not be easily opened from outside the bus during an emergency. This increases the risk of injury to students, drivers, and others who need to get out of the vehicle quickly.

The repair is free. Blue Bird will notify owners, and an authorized dealer will replace the outer hatch handle at no charge. Owners can contact Blue Bird customer service at 1-478-822-2242 and reference recall number R19AF-NSB. You can also check your vehicle's VIN for open recalls.

Check whether this recall is open on your vehicle

The repair is normally free at an authorized dealer.

Official recall notice

Safety recall 19V524Blue Bird Body Company

Component: STRUCTURE:EMERGENCY:ESCAPE/EGRESS/EXIT
Problem: Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) is recalling certain 2020 Vision and All American buses equipped with Specialty Prolo 24" x 24" roof hatches. Due to a manufacturing issue, the roof hatch external handle may unexpectedly break under reasonable use. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 217, "Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release."
Risk: If the roof hatch external handle breaks, in the event of an emergency, the hatch cannot be easily opened from outside the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Blue Bird will notify owners, and dealers will replace the outer hatch handle, free of charge. The recall began August 21, 2019. Owners may contact Blue Bird customer service at 1-478-822-2242. Blue Bird's number for this recall is R19AF - NSB.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Affected vehicles

Blue Bird ALL American School Bus	2020
Blue Bird Vision School Bus	2020